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Ice Cream: A Global History GIVEAWAYhttps://365scoops.com/2013/08/01/ice-cream-a-global-history-giveaway/
https://365scoops.com/2013/08/01/ice-cream-a-global-history-giveaway/#commentsFri, 02 Aug 2013 00:49:09 +0000http://365scoops.com/?p=2803I had always thought that once you grew up you could do anything you wanted – stay up all night or eat ice cream straight out of the container. ~ Bill Bryson

Fellow ice cream lovers, have I got a treat in store freezer for you!!

Ice Cream: A Global History

Laura B. Weiss, the famed author of Ice Cream: A Global History has teamed up with 365scoops for a very special interview and GIVEAWAY. That’s right, you read this correctly. Not only do you have the chance to learn fun and interesting ice cream facts from the ice cream guru herself, but you also have a chance to win an autographed copy of Laura’s wonderful book.

Laura is an author, journalist and editor whose food, travel and lifestyle stories have appeared in numerous national publications, including The New York Times, FoodNetwork.com, Saveur, Travel + Leisure and more. Formerly a writer and editor for TIME’s school edition, Laura also worked at AOL, where she was responsible for directing and negotiating content partnerships with major news and entertainment brands, such as Teen People, PBS, and Cartoon Network.

How did 365scoops get to team up with Laura? Well, when I wrote the delicious post about Ben’s Bars many moons ago, I was gifted Ice Cream: A Global History as a thank you. I’ve cherished the book ever since and recently Laura reached out asking whether we could potentially work together. Folks – dreams really do come true because now me, little old me, is interviewing her royal ice cream highness, Ms. Laura B. Weiss!

365Scoops: What is your favorite ice cream flavor and why?

Laura B. Weiss: I know this is boring, but chocolate unless I order a sundae, in which case I want really great vanilla with tons of hot fudge. No whipped cream, please. I like my ice cream in its purest form. If it’s really good ice cream, that’s all you should need

(Laura, I am right there with you! Chocolate is the best!)

365Scoops:Which country consumes the most ice cream in the world?

Laura B. Weiss: Statistics vary but it’s either the US or Australia.

365Scoops: Who actually invited the ice cream cone? Some say it was the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, and other’s say it was in NYC. What is the truth behind the legend?

The real ice cream cone

Laura B. Weiss: The mother of the ice cream cone (yes, it was a woman!) was an English cookbook writer named Agnes B. Marshall who in the 1880s created a recipe for a cone that could be filled with water ices or pudding. You ate the dish with a knife and fork! Then we get to the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. That’s where waffle vendors and ice cream vendors got together. They must have said something like “See all these hot, hungry people? We’ll sell them an ice cream treat they can walk around with and we’ll make a bundle!” There were four and possibly more vendors who claimed credit for the Fair’s cone. A New Yorker named Antonia Valvona came up with a cup-like cone the year before the Fair. So I guess if you come from St. Louis, you like the World’s Fair creation story. If you’re a New Yorker, you’ll root for Vavona.

365Scoops: Tell us a bit about the differences in ice creams across cultures

Laura B. Weiss: Ice cream is pretty universal and vanilla is the most popular flavor around the globe. But each culture adapts ice cream to its own culinary traditions. So, for example, the Japanese like flavors like kurogoma (black sesame seeds) and kinako (powdered, roasted soy beans). Gelato is an interesting case of how each country’s culinary traditions can change a traditional food. In Italy, a classic gelateria will serve only a handful of flavors like pistachio and chocolate. In the U.S. and in other western cultures, gelato has been transformed into a dessert that defies the traditional dish. I’ve seen chocolate chip gelato and dulce de leche gelato.

365Scoops: What is your favorite, most obscure ice cream fact?

Laura B. Weiss: Can I have two?

First, Hollywood movie directors filming Westerns would wave ice cream cones in front of mules used as extras to get them to perform in front of the camera.

Second, it seems that Ben Cohen one of the founders of Ben & Jerry’s has very little sense of taste and smell. That’s why they incorporated texture in the form of chunks of cake and candy into their ice cream.

(365Scoops: I love you Ben Cohen!)

365Scoops: Who is responsible for today’s artisanal ice cream trend?

Yummers!

Laura B. Weiss: A lot of people would credit Haagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s, but I give the nod to Howard Johnson. He came up with the idea of a multitude of flavors–28 to be exact. He tried to wean Americans from those stuffy old standbys–chocolate, strawberry and vanilla and introduce new flavors like Maple Walnut and Caramel fudge.

As if that wasn’t enough, here’s the cherry on top: The first person who poses a unique and interesting ice cream related question on the 365scoops facebook page, tweets @365scoops and @foodandthings will win a signed copy of Laura’s book. Sounds pretty sweet to me! May the biggest ice cream enthusiast win!

Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson sang their hearts out in their famous duet, “The best things in life are free” and now you can eat your heart out on some FREE, that’s right, FREE 365scoops ice cream.

Here’s how it works:

In celebration of Kosher Like Me’s one year anniversary, 365scoops and its amazing food blogger, photographer and culinary wiz friend, Liz Rueven of Kosher Like Me, are teaming up to give away one free quart of ice cream to a lucky winner.

Kosher Like Me is a terrific blog that came to be after it’s kosher-observant author, Liz Rueven, had ordered too many monotonous meals of grilled fish and veggie laden pasta. Determined to find more exhilarating and varied vegetarian dining experiences, Liz is on the lookout for restaurants that adjust their offerings as the seasons change. She is interested in chefs who are flexible enough to accommodate vegetarians (and with a smile, please) and who care about how their food is grown, harvested and handled. Her culinary adventures, restaurant experiences, and delicious recipes and photos are all shared in this blog.

365scoops is thrilled to be joining Liz Rueven and Kosher Like Me for this terrific anniversary celebration and FREE ice cream giveaway.

Here’s what you do to enter the contest:

Enter a comment at the end of this Kosher Like Me post and tell Liz what your favorite ice cream flavor is. Be sure to include your email address so that we can contact you!

For an extra entry, please “like” the Kosher Like Mefacebook page. (While not a requirement for the contest, please “like” the 365coops facebook page as well, so you can learn about other awesome 365scoops recipes and giveaways)

If you are not a subscriber to the Kosher Like Me newsletter yet, you may subscribe (see the box to the right of the post that says “sign me up”?) and garner a third chance at winning.

Be sure to return to the comments section here and let Liz know which actions you have taken.

Then tune in here at 8pm on Wednesday, July 18th for a unique foray into the life and times of 365scoops!

To read a bit about the interview before it’s live, here’s a great tidbit on KosherScene about yours truly and 365scoops!

An enormous thank you to CS, the main writer, interviewer and food reviewer extraordinaire behind The Kosher Scene. If you everneed a kosher restaurant recommendation in the five boroughs of NY (or in Argentina and Israel for that matter) he’s your go-to-guy. Read this blog and salivate over the amazing foods. Then listen to my interview and order yourself some ice cream (it will make you feel better, ice cream always does!) It’s just that simple!

When I was a senior in high school my parents went away for a few days and left me to watch my sisters. It so happened that they were gone over St. Patrick’s Day, and the nice little Jewish girl that I was, I decided it would be fun (err my friends convinced me) to host a St. Patrick’s Day party, complete with green beer and green funnels.

Clearly an amateur, I decided to photograph the party, you know, to document how much fun we were having. A few days later, I had the photos developed (yes, this was before the days of digital cameras and facebook!) and they were INSIDE my school backpack. My parents came back from their trip, and we were all innocently eating dinner together when my mother said “So, did you have fun while we were gone? What did you do?” $HIT! I smell trouble. But I played it cool. “Oh it was fun, I went to Emily’s on Saturday night.” LIE #1

“Oh really,” she said, “I happened to be in the back hall and saw your bag with photos hanging out, so I looked and saw all these great pictures of you with green colored liquid all around our house.”

“That’s strange,” I said “because we were at Emily’s house.” LIE #2

“How funny,” my mom said “because I recognize all the furniture in those photos. Are you telling me that you moved all the furniture to Emily’s house?”

And that’s where it all went wrong.

“We sure did!” I said. LIE #3

Needless to say you can guess how the rest of this unfolded. I was grounded, and pissed off. The thing is, I thought I was being so clever and sneaky, but when you have parents who SNOOP through your stuff (those photos were buried deep within my backpack), it’s hard to get away with anything. This was the house that LIES built!

Anyhow, ever since that fun “party” (there were maybe 10 people, it was hardly a party, OK?), I have always had a soft spot in my heart for St. Patrick’s day.

So, in honor of that wonderful celebration (better late then never!), I present you with Chocolate Stout Ice Cream. Bottoms up!

Tempering the egg mixture

Chocolate Stout Ice Cream

Adapted from David Lebovitz

Ingredients

1 cup (scant) milk chocolate chips

2 cups half-and-half

1/2 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup Chocolate Stout (I used Trader Joe’s brand)

pinch of salt

Method

Pouring the egg and milk mixture over the chocolate chips

Warm one cup half-and-half, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan.

While this is heating, whisk together the three egg yolks.

Temper the eggs by pouring the hot milk mixture over the egg yolks, whisking vigorously. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat until 170 degrees F or until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon or wooden spatula.

Pour the chocolate chips into a large mixing bowl and cover with a fine mesh strainer. Pour the egg/milk mixture through the strainer onto the chocolate chips and stir until melted.

Whisk in the remaining 1 cup of half-and-half, then the beer, then the vanilla.

Chill completely in the refrigerator for approximately 2 hours.

Adding the chocolate stout to the ice cream base

Pour the mixture in the base of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions (approximately 20 minutes). Because this recipe contains beer it will be slightly softer and creamier when you scoop it out of the machine. Transfer to a freezer safe container and let harden in the freezer for at least 2 hours before scooping.

The Verdict: The Hubby brought a pint of this concoction to his office and needless to say, they loved it! Two people even ate it for breakfast (be still, my heart!). I don’t personally love beer, but I really liked this ice cream. It has the perfect amount of beer, and because I used chocolate stout, it really enhanced the chocolate ice cream base as well. Bottoms up!

Enjoy!

]]>https://365scoops.com/2012/03/30/chocolate-stout-ice-cream/feed/1naomisugarStrawberry Lemonade Granitahttps://365scoops.com/2012/03/26/strawberry-lemonade-granita/
https://365scoops.com/2012/03/26/strawberry-lemonade-granita/#respondMon, 26 Mar 2012 14:18:29 +0000http://365scoops.com/?p=2657“A lot of people think Passover just means you can’t eat bread. But it’s so much more than that, and that’s what I find the hardest. I love ice cream, but it has corn syrup in it, so I can’t eat it.” ~Marsha Cohen*

*Oh, poor Marsha, don’t fret. At 365scoops we don’t use corn syrup in our ice cream, so you can always eat our creations!

Look at that beautiful granita!

It’s hard to believe that it’s almost Passover…where has the year gone? I feel like it was just last week when we gathered around the Seder table scarfing down charoset and matzah ball soup. In honor of Passover, I was asked to write a piece for The Nosherand My Jewish Learning and provide you, my readers, with a Passover frozen treat.

Aside from the important themes of Passover, particularly those of freedom and liberty, Passover also means, at least in my world, a paucity of good desserts. While I am completely obsessed with ice cream, I also love sinking my teeth in a nice, moist piece of cake. That just ‘aint possible on Passover. The other major pain about Pesach is that no one ever has good cooking utensils. We always reserve the good stuff for the rest of the year, and often our pots and pans, let alone baking equipment for Pesach, ends up being pretty junky. Save for the amazing omelet pan that my parents have for Passover (I’m convinced omelets are better this time of year as a result of the pan) we don’t have nearly as many fun kitchen gadgets. Needless to say, this obviously goes for the ice cream maker as well.

Though I am a big supporter of a kosher-for-Passover ice cream maker, I realize that it’s a completely unnecessary expense. So, in the absence of an ice cream maker, you might be left with a dearth of good dessert ideas.

Zesting the lemons. Make sure to roll them in your hands first to warm up the juices.

Enter the granita. Originally created in Italy, the granita is a semi-frozen dessert made from sugar, water and flavoring. It requires absolutely no special equipment, and the beautiful thing about this granita is that it can be served as a dessert (perhaps with some fresh berries on the side) or as an intermezzo (or, as I prefer, an intermatzoh) to cleanse the palette between courses at the Seder. It’s your choice…and whatever you decide, you won’t be disappointed.

First make simple syrup. Normally simple syrup is made with 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, in other words, a 1:1 ratio. However, this recipe cuts down on the sugar (you’ll thank me later) and ends up just fine!

Prepare the simple syrup by combining the water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, whisking often to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 4 minutes, while continuing to whisk until all the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool, then transfer to a bowl or container, cover, and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour.

While the mixture is cooling, place the strawberries, lemon juice, lemon zest and vodka into a blender and mix until smooth.

Pour the cool simple syrup into the strawberry/lemon puree and blend until mixed.

Blending all the ingredients

Pour into an 8×8 square glass pan and freeze. After approximately 2 hours, check the granita. Once it has started to freeze run a fork through the entire pan and begin breaking up the ice to make little icicles. Return the dish to the freezer, then check the mixture every 30 minutes afterward, stirring each time and breaking up any large chunks into small pieces with a fork, until you have fine crystals of homemade granita!

If by mistake, you forget about the granita and it freezes solid, run a very sharp knife through frozen mixture from one side of the pan to the other to loosen the ice crystals. Then scrape a fork back and forth to create fine crystals. Scoop into a cup and enjoy!

Look at those beautiful granita crystals. Yum!

While this makes a quart of granita, it doesn’t actually serve as many people as a quart of ice cream. Expect to serve four people with this, especially because they’ll definitely come back for seconds!

Serve with fresh strawberries and a lemon wedge to enhance the presentation. Enjoy!

The Verdict: Delicious! The addition of potato vodka actually raises the freezing temperature, so the granita was slightly slushie. Plus, after a long Passover Seder, a little vodka might be a good idea!

The best part? No ice cream maker or tools required. This is a very simple crowd pleaser and absolutely refreshing as well. Granitas are a perfect treat for Passover or year round. Enjoy.

Friends, it’s the Jewish month of Adar* and you know what that means? Purim! And hamentaschen, and candy and drinking and fun!

But mostly hamentaschen.

Prepping the peaches

For those of you who are not familiar with these adorable three-cornered treats, Hamentaschen are triangular cookies, traditionally filled with jams, and eaten during the holiday of Passover. Their shape is modeled after the three-cornered hat worn by the holiday’s villain, Haman. The holiday of Purim commemorates the day when Haman cast a lot (aka “pur”, hence the name “pur”im) to determine the day on which he would kill the Jews. After a turn of events, the Jews were not killed and instead, killed the enemies who wished to destroy them (not such a great thing to celebrate in my opinion, as we should not rejoice as our enemies fall…but that’s besides the point). On this joyous holiday we celebrate by donning costumes, giving gifts to the poor, giving food gifts to friends, reading a megillah (scroll book), imbibing, partying, and of course, eating Hamentaschen.

Scraping the vanilla bean and making vanilla sugar

Anyhow…I wanted to make a hamentaschen ice cream, but putting bits of these cookies in the ice cream would get soggy, and nobody likes soggy ice cream. So, my mother suggested making peach raspberry ice cream served with a peach or raspberry hamentaschen on the side. Sounds great to me.

Like usual, I combined a number of recipes to make this treat. Suffice it to say, it may not have been worth the effort. Either it’s not peach season (well, I know it’s not peach season) or I didn’t use enough peaches, or my recipes were just all so-so but I was not impressed. It’s OK, you win some, you lose some. And let’s be clear, this flavor is by no means awful it’s just not my favorite. The hamentaschen, however, now those were the bees knees! Thanks to Not Derby Pie for this yummers recipe.

Peaches smothered in vanilla bean sugar

Peach Raspberry Hamentaschen Ice Cream

Adapted from Sips and Spoonfuls and Ciao Bella

Ingredients

6 peaches, cut in half, depitted

1 vanilla bean (scraped)

3 tbs sugar

3 cups half-and-half

3/4 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

2 cups frozen raspberries

a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice

Method

Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits. Place skin side down in a baking dish.

Peaches...roasted and toasted

Scrape out the vanilla from the bean and mix with 3 tbs of sugar. Sprinkle over the peaches. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes and then broil for approximately 5 minutes until the tops caramelize and brown a bit.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely. While the peaches are cooling, make the ice cream base. Heat the half-and-half in a large saucepan until small bubbles form around the sides. Remove from heat and set aside. Whisk together the two egg yolks with the 3/4 cup sugar until it thickens (it will get very thick and almost impossible to whisk because you will only be using 2 yolks). Temper the eggs by pouring in the hot milk mixture slowly into the egg yolks, whisking thoroughly until well-blended. Pour back into the saucepan and heat until it reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Set aside and cool.

Adding raspberries to the peach puree

Once the peaches have cooled, remove the skin, and puree in a blender along with any other peach juices that remained in the baking dish. Pour in the milk mixture into the blender and puree with the peaches. Slowly add in the frozen raspberries until the whole mixture is well blended. Squeeze in some lemon juice (to taste) and blend one more time.

There will inevitably be small pieces of peach skin and raspberry seeds in your mixture which you’ll need to strain out. So, pour the mixture a few cups at a time over a fine mesh strainer. Discard the seeds and skin, keeping only the perfectly smooth mixture. Chill completely in the refrigerator before churning.

Transfer the mixture to your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions (approximately 20 minutes). Once it’s finished, transfer to a freezer safe container for at least 2 hours so that it can harden before you serve it.

To enjoy, put 2 hamentaschen on your plate (preferably a raspberry one and a peach one, get it?) along with a scoop of ice cream, and enjoy!

The finished product. Happy Purim!

The Verdict: Eh. I actually had a moral dilemma posting this flavor. You see, I knew from the moment that I roasted the peaches that it wasn’t going to be too flavorful. I didn’t want to waste the precious ingredients, but then again didn’t want to make a yucky flavor, and post it in public. The Husband reminded me that people actually enjoy reading about my failures (thanks peeps!) and that it keeps me honest to post flavors that are not as terrific as the rest. Because, let’s be honest, not every flavor is going to be a winner. While this flavor lacked a little flavor punch, it was still very, very creamy. So, on that note, enjoy this fruity ice cream and if nothing else, Happy Purim!

]]>https://365scoops.com/2012/03/09/peach-raspberry-hamentaschen-ice-cream/feed/1naomisugarIce Cream Making 101https://365scoops.com/2012/03/06/ice-cream-making-101/
https://365scoops.com/2012/03/06/ice-cream-making-101/#respondTue, 06 Mar 2012 15:21:27 +0000http://365scoops.com/?p=2601“I doubt whether the world holds for any one a more soul-stirring surprise than the first adventure with ice-cream.” ~ Heywood Broun

A bevvy of beautiful ice cream makers

I was asked to write a post about making ice cream for Cook Kosher , a fantastic site dedicated to kosher cooking. Founded by brother and sister team, Leah Schapira and Zalman Roth, the duo shares terrific recipes, food news, tips and tricks. Below is an excerpt from my piece on ice cream making 101. To read the full article click here

I still remember my first time like it was yesterday. It was a warm April day. The sun was shining. I got home from work early, giddy with excitement and eager anticipation. I have to admit though, I was nervous. What if The Husband found me? I was afraid of getting in trouble, of divulging my deepest secret. After all, I snuck this little toy into my apartment, and if he found me, oooh if he found me, what would I ever do?

And then it hit me. Who cares if someone finds out! I am so in love that I feel like shouting from the rooftop of my NYC apartment for the entire world to hear!

And that’s what I did.

Listen up everyone. I MADE ICE CREAM FOR THE FIRST TIME!

There, I said it. I feel so much better now!

That was 11 months ago, and the rest is history.

I set out to write 365scoops with the intention of making a few flavors of ice cream a week, blogging about the experience, and sharing with you, my loyal readers, the recipes and how-to’s so that you could create the very same flavors at home. Along the way, I tasted every type of ice cream and gelato I could find, for…errrr…inspiration…and market research! Now I’ve become a self-proclaimed ice-cream-o-holic. I cannot live without ice cream. In fact, 365scoops has grown so much, that we cater parties, sell ice cream, and even do tastings and demonstrations (shameless plug: visit 365scoops.com to find out how to score a quart of ice cream for your freezer!)

To read the full article and get some delicious ice cream recipes, visit Cook Kosher here!

Loyal readers, you may remember that this summer I reviewed the one and only Amorino Gelato in NYC and regaled you with stories about their famous Amorino gelato flower and outstanding flavors, including Speculos, Alphonso Mango, Stracciatella, and my personal favorite, L’Inimitabile (which literally means “it can’t compare”) the classic chocolate hazelnut. It’s outrageous and simply perfect. And this means a lot from a fellow ice cream maker and lover!

The perfect Amorino Gelato Flower with Straciatella and Speculos

Anyhow, I got an email last week from my pal Filippo, the CEO of Amorino who told me that they have a new line of waffles with gelato, candies and chocolates and that I should come quick to sample. I saw his email and the next thing I knew, I was at his store with a couple of gal pals for a fun afternoon treat. I was expecting heaven…and heaven I got!

Try one of these waffles...you will not regret it!

If you’re like me and love a good waffle-a-la-mode then Amorino is the place to get it! These perfectly crisp yet not overly sweet waffles are imported from Belgium and individually toasted to perfection. Served either with sugar, ($3.25), hazelnut chocolate/dark chocolate or raspberry/apricot jam ($5.25) or 2 scoops of gelato ($7.50), these waffles are ideal for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Guess what I got? If you guessed a waffle with hazelnut chocolate and 2 scoops of gelato you’re absolutely right. Down to the very last bite, this waffle was perfectly crisp, and the ideal combination of hot and cold. What a treat.

But, the pièce de résistance is their new line of flower, seed, herb and fruit candies the recipe for which is unchanged since 1780! These candies are, without a doubt, a truly stunning centerpiece, and more importantly uniquely flavored and delicious. Designed and produced by Italy’s foremost candy company, they are created and sold exclusively at Amorino.

The beautiful fruit, seed, flower and herb candies

Presented in magnificent black boxes, these divine sweets are available in boxes of 2, 6, 12 or 24 flavors. Flavors include Orange tree flower, Mint leaves, Raspberry, Strawberry, Pink Lilac, Anise seeds, Mimosa flowers, Cumin seeds, Coriander seeds, Rose petals and Lavender seeds. I highly suggest that you purchase some as gifts – in fact, if you want to buy me one I will not object! The best part is that when you run out of a flavor, you can purchase refills directly from the store.

A closer look at the candies and chocolates available at Amorino

Right before leaving, Filippo insisted (and naturally we obliged) on sharing Amorino’s Cioccolata Calda, aka hot chocolate. We each had a “shot” of orange-cinnamon hot chocolate, a thick and creamy drink, and headed on our merry ways. What a perfect end to a lovely day filled with great gelato, waffles, chocolate, candies and more. Here’s to great friends, great gelato, and warm memories together!

Buon Appetito!

Amorino Gelato is located at 60 University Place (on the corner of E 10th Street). Run, don’t walk to Amorino today!

Hanukkah is the festival of lights, Instead of one day of presents, we have eight crazy nights. ” ~ Adam Sandler

Jelly Doughnut Ice Cream

Let me be clear about one thing before I go any further. I almost feel like this is confessional: I have never fried anything, and so I had absolutely no idea what to expect. This is coming from a girl who, though she loves herself a good dessert, was never, ever allowed to eat anything fried. In fact, the only way we were ever able to convince my mom to let us eat a doughnut was to tell her that it was a cinnamon bun (nevermind that it was deep fried and glazed!). Talk about pulling a fast one on her. Scarfing down those “cinnamon buns” was a blast. It felt so good. So rebellious. So child-like.

Enter the sufganiya.Many of my ice cream recipes pay homage to my childhood days, but this one, ah this golden, cinnamon sugar coated bundle of goodness, reminds me so much of Chanukkah that I get giddy like a little school girl just thinking about it. Maybe if I tap my heels together three times some presents will show up at my door! Wishful thinking.

Back to these sufganiyot. The Hebrew word for sufganiya derived from the word for sponge (sfog),is supposed to describe the texture of a sufganiya which is somewhat similar to a sponge. I like to tell myself that because the texture is like a sponge (which I think is airy, not fried and fatty!) a sufganiya is completely healthy. And when injected with raspberry preserves, even healthier!

Look what I made -- the jelly doughnut itself!

During Chanukkah in Israel, one famous bakery alone purportedly makes 250,000 sufganiyot. I made 20 and it took me a half day. To make 250,000 I’d have to make 12,500 batches, which would take me 6,250 days or 17 years. No thanks!

This time of year, when all I do is eat sweets, I try to refrain from thinking about how unhealthy it is and instead think about the significance of these doughnuts. On Chanukkah we eat these golden delicious sufganiyot because they are fried in oil, which helps to remind us of one of the miracles of Chanukkah. When the Maccabees were fighting the Greeks, they only found enough oil to light the Temple Menorah for one night. But, in a twist of fate, the oil lasted for eight nights, the exact length of Chanukkah. In fact, the name “Chanukkah” derives from the Hebrew verb meaning “to dedicate”. On Chanukkah, the Jews regained control of Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple.

So, to toast that small miracle, let’s chow down on some delicious Sufganiyot Ice Cream. Enjoy!

Sufganiyot Ice Cream

Idea created by 365scoops

Doughnuts adapted from Martha Stewart and Vanilla Ice Cream adapted from David Lebovitz

For this recipe, patience is a must! This is a multi-step process but trust me, it’s worth it. (Note: this recipe can be made over 2 days if you don’t have an entire Sunday afternoon as I did!)

First, make the vanilla ice cream base. In a small saucepan heat together the milk, 1 cup half-and-half, sugar and the vanilla bean paste until small bubbles form around the edges.

Frying up the first batch (before flipping)

While the mixture is warming, whisk together three egg yolks. Pour the milk mixture into the egg yolks very slowly, stirring between each pour. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure you get all the vanilla bean paste, and pour back into the saucepan. Heat until the mixture reaches 170 degrees F. If you don’t have a thermometer heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spatula or a wooden spoon.

Golden brown doughnuts, immediately before removing from the hot oil

Once ready, pour over a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl (it’s important to strain this ice cream because inevitably small little curdles will form from heating the egg and milk, and trust me, you don’t want those in your ice cream!). Once strained, slowly stir in the remaining cup of half-and-half and the vanilla extract.

Let the mixture cool completely before refrigerating for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Just after being rolled in cinnamon sugar and filled with raspberry jam, these doughnuts are ready to be chopped and swirled into ice cream

Next, it’s time to make the sufganiyot!This, my friends, is a labor of love. In a small bowl, combine yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.

Place flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the center; add eggs, yeast mixture, 1/4 cup sugar, butter, and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir until a sticky dough forms. On a well-floured work surface, knead until dough is smooth, soft, and bounces back when poked with a finger, about 8 minutes (add more flour if necessary). Place in an oiled bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place to rise until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

While the ice cream mixture is cooling, and the sufganiyot are rising, make the raspberry sauce. Pour the bag of frozen raspberries into a small saucepan, and mix until heated.

Making the raspberry sauce

The raspberries will turn to mush (which is what you want). Stir in the sugar and vodka and let the mixture heat for 2-4 minutes. Remove from the heat, and strain through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the seeds, and keep the smooth raspberry sauce. Set aside.

Next, it’s time to form and fry the donuts. On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2-inch-round cutter or drinking glass , cut 20 rounds. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise 15 minutes.

Adding vanilla to the ice cream base

In medium saucepan over medium heat, heat oil until a deep-frying thermometer registers 370 degrees. Using a slotted spoon, carefully slip 4 rounds into oil. Fry until golden, about 10-20 seconds on each side. Turn doughnuts over; fry until golden on other side, another 10-20 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Roll in cinnamon sugar while warm. Fry all dough, and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Chopped up doughnuts right before they go into the ice cream maker!

This part of the process takes a little getting used to. Inevitably your first few doughnuts will burn. Don’t stress, you will have plenty more. I noticed that by the time I put 3-4 doughnuts into the hot oil, it was time to flip them, and once they were flipped, it was time to remove them! Hard to keep up with it! If the doughnuts look burnt, chances are, they’re totally fine, just slightly darker than you may have wanted. Don’t worry, they still taste delicious! Also, it’s very important to douse the doughnuts in the cinnamon sugar immediately after frying, otherwise it won’t stick.

The layered ice cream, right out of the ice cream maker

Once you’re done frying all the doughnuts you’ll want to fill them with jam. Since I didn’t have a pastry bag or a #4 tip I used a ziploc bag with a tiny whole cut out. I wouldn’t recommend this, so if you can, head over to Michael’s Craft Shop or a baking store and buy a pastry bag and a #4 tip. It’s much easier!

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a #4 tip with jam. Using a wooden skewer or toothpick, make a hole in the side of each doughnut. Fit the pastry tip into a hole, pipe about 2 teaspoons jam into doughnut. Repeat with remaining doughnuts.

Almost done…

Take a bite of that!

Now it’s time for the great assembly! Pour the ice cream mixture into the base of your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. While churning, chop up 6 doughnuts into small pieces. Approximately 5 minutes before the mixture is done churning add the sufganiyot pieces and let it mix thoroughly.

Drizzle a few tablespoons of raspberry sauce on the bottom of a freezer safe container. Add a few scoops of ice cream. Cover with more raspberry sauce and repeat process until you’ve layered the ice cream and raspberry sauce. Drizzle a bit more raspberry sauce on top and cover. Transfer to the freezer for at least 2 hours before serving. You will have leftover raspberry sauce, which I advise saving for garnish!

Jelly doughnut ice cream, with a side of jelly doughnut. Yum.

When you’re ready to eat, scoop 1-2 heaps of ice cream into a bowl (you’ll notice there is a beautiful raspberry marble!) and drizzle with raspberry sauce on top. Enjoy!

The Verdict:Taim me’od! (very tasty!) This is a perfect treat for the holiday season. In fact, so tasty that I recommend sharing it with friends (like I did) or else you may gobble the whole thing up! Enjoy this fun take on an old classic and Happy Chanukkah!